By Matthew Young
For HDMedia
At a Friday arraignment hearing, ambulance driver Alyssa Brooke Middleton, 19, of Elkview, pleaded not guilty in the April 16 dragging death of 45-year-old John Lucas.
A trial date has been set for August.
Middleton, a Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority employee who was driving the ambulance that dragged Lucas for approximately two miles in Elkview, was indicted by a grand jury Thursday on the charges of voluntary manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident causing death, and aggravated vehicular homicide.
Middleton was arraigned Friday before Kanawha County Circuit Court Judge Dave Hardy. The indictment was initially referred to the court of Judge Maryclaire Akers. However, Akers voluntarily recused herself from the case, necessitating a transfer to Hardy’s court.
Prosecutors requested that bail be set at $50,000 cash. Middleton’s attorney, Tim Carrico, disputed that amount on Friday, arguing that it was both unnecessary and beyond the family’s means.
What defense said happened
“Mr. Lucas — the victim in this case — was standing [at the KCEAA Station], dropped what appeared to be a … knife and picked it back up,” Carrico told the court. “He stood back and got out of the way, [and] they drove and parked the ambulance.”
“However,” Carrico continued, “After they parked the ambulance, they still see Mr. Lucas walking around, and they’re scared. They see him lurking on some grass. They decide to drive around and see that he’s not there. There was a clip on the news showing one angle of it where [Lucas] sprints directly at the [ambulance] … looking like he’s coming after them at the front of the ambulance.”
“[Middleton and co-worker are] screaming and yelling,” Carrico noted. “[Middleton] reacts to that situation. Mr. Lucas is hit at that point in time. [Middleton] moves forward, she immediately calls 911 after the incident. She’s with 911 on the phone the whole time, from the time she calls right after this happened, all the way to the time she finally stops, and I submit she followed their instructions.”
“Based on the evidence that the state’s going to present to a jury in this case, there’s substantial issues of self-defense,” Carrico added. “[Middleton is] 19-years-old with a 24-year-old who’s working with her. She started working at Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority in January of 2026, so she’d only been there for about four months. She reacted, that’s what happened. A horrible tragedy.”
Hardy set Middleton’s bond at $100,000, with a 10% surety, meaning a collateral payment of $10,000 was required to avoid incarceration. Middleton posted the $10,000 bond just after 1:09 p.m. on Friday.
What the KCSO said happenedV
At approximately 2 a.m. on April 16, Lucas was struck by a Kanawha County Emergency Authority Ambulance Authority ambulance driven by Middleton. Middleton’s 24-year-old female co-worker was also in the cab. The incident occurred near Tudor’s Biscuit World, 1083 Main St., in Elkview. After being struck, Lucas fell beneath the ambulance, and was dragged for nearly 2 miles. He was later found on the side of the road near the Kanawha County Schools bus garage, approximately 1 mile from Tudor’s.
According to a statement from Sgt. J.M. Burns with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, released on the day of the incident, the two female EMTs in the ambulance “observed a male, later identified as John Curtis Lucas, wearing what initially appeared to be a bathrobe but was later determined to be a trench coat. The male was reportedly prowling around the area and was believed to be holding a knife. Fearing for their safety, the EMS workers left the area.”
Burns further stated that Lucas allegedly leapt onto the front of the ambulance, while “still believed to be armed.” Middleton continued driving, and Lucas eventually fell from the vehicle. At this point, Burns adds, the two women contacted Metro 911.
Responding Kanawha County Sheriff’s deputies located Lucas lying on U.S. 119. When found, Lucas was in critical condition. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died a short time after.
Lucas was not in possession of a knife or any other weapon when discovered, and no knife was found to be in the area of the incident.
Both audio and video recordings of the incident are in the possession of the Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
At an April 21 news conference, KCSO officials and the Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said the investigation was ongoing and complicated.
“At this time, certain aspects of the investigation cannot be released to the public,” said Sean Snuffer, chief deputy with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. “This is not something that’s unusual. It is necessary to protect the integrity of the investigation, preserve evidence, and ensure that all facts are properly developed before conclusions are drawn.”
Addressing the complexity of the case, Kanawha County Prosecutor Debra Rusnak added:
“As the investigation is developing, it has become clear that the initial accounts of the incident do differ from the evidence reviewed thus far,” Rusnak added
What’s next?
After the hearing on Friday, Kanawha County Prosecutor Debra Rusnak declined to comment and also advised Lucas family members who attended Middleton’s hearing to avoid publicly discussing the case.
Scott Summers, attorney for the Lucas family, also declined comment Friday. Additionally, when contacted by phone, a representative of the Carrico Law Office advised that Tim Carrico declined comment.
Middleton’s pre-trial hearing is set for 10 a.m. on July 21, and her trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Aug. 17.
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